Lego, a milk carton and a petrol tank: Chanel's cult runway bags

Chanel's quilted 2.55 bag is one of the most coveted handbags of all time. First created in the 1920s by Coco Chanel, the bag's design was innovative, as it allowed the user to hang the strap over their arm, freeing up their hands.

The bag was launched into the market 9 years later. Chanel was renowned for taking inspiration from the simple yet efficient designs of military ware, the legendary boucle jacket lapels were in part inspired by military tailoring. The 2.55 bag strap was influenced by the straps on soldiers' bags.

Since then the bag has been updated many times. Far from the classic style of the 2.55 bag, Chanel fans await for the special pieces which head designer and creative director Karl Lagerfeld pulls out of the bag for runway shows.

The Lego bag, which was first designed in 2013, was a firm favourite with Chanel's famous clientele. Seen on the arms of Kim Kardashian, Anna Della Russo, Rihanna and Lily Allen, the bag was numerously labelled the best bag of the summer season. The bag is made of Plexiglas and features an interlocking C logo in raised plastic.

Fall/Winter 2014 was the year Chanel and Moschino drew inspiration from groceries and fast food. Whilst Jeremy Scott of Moschino made a collection inspired by McDonald's Happy Meal box, Lagerfeld created the Lait de Coco Minaudiere Bag, a bag in the shape of a milk carton.

Image via portero.com

Taking the handbag to a post-modern realm, Lagerfeld debuted the shopping basket bag-within-a-bag at Paris Fashion Week in March for Chanel's autumn/winter 2014 accessories collection. The piece was made from brass and calfskin.

Image via The Telegraph

For spring/summer 2013 the hula hoop bag was released. The full size version of the bag which was seen on the catwalk, was not released for retail, instead the smaller version was. Lagerfeld designed the hooped bag for beach use with ''space for the beach towel and then you can put it into the sand and hang things on it."

Image via the Telegraph

The Dubai By Night Gas Tank minaudière bag was presented to the world at Chanel's Cruise collection in Dubai in 2014. The Plexiglas bag was made for one season only and was sold out immediately after it hit the shops. The bag is in the shape of a "jerry can" gas tank with the Chanel CC logo on both the front and back.

Image via madisonavenuecouture.com

Graffiti designs have became a design favourite of the likes of Jeremy Scott and Lagerfeld. Evoking graffiti of 1980s New York and the grunge era of the 1990s, the canvas bag with ropes and chains has the signature CC logo spray painted across it. It was launched for Spring 2014.